At the Bottom of Everything
by CartoonFullMoon
Summary: One chaotic morning leads Rachel to realise that maybe Quinn Fabray isn't coping as well as she pretends to.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** At the Bottom of Everything (1/?)  
**Author:** CartoonFullMoon  
**Pairing:** Rachel/Quinn  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Length:** 2000~  
**Spoilers:** Some early season 2 spoilers  
**Disclaimer:** I'm merely borrowing these characters for now :)  
**Summary:** One chaotic morning leads Rachel to realise that maybe Quinn Fabray isn't coping as well as she pretends to.

* * *

Rachel Berry was furious. Slamming the car door shut behind her, Rachel executed what could only be described as her signature 'Diva tantrum'.

While the name had been contrived and embraced in Glee club – credit to one Kurt Hummel – Leroy Berry secretly thought that it had never seemed a more appropriate title for his daughter's dramatic mood swings.

"See you later, Sweetie" Leroy called out, failing to keep the amusement out of his voice.

Turning around to give her father one last glare, Rachel continued towards the front of the school, stomping her feet as she walked.

Her morning had started out as as it usually did. She had eaten a healthy vegan breakfast, printed out the well rehearsed Broadway sheet music she intended to perform in the scheduled Glee club meeting that day, and had dressed in what she would call an unparalleled outfit choice (as well as packing a spare set of clothes in case her unique style fell victim to yet another slushy attack).

She had been completing her routine morning vocal warm up when her fathers had rushed her out of the house. Apparently she was being inconsiderate of the neighbours' feelings, and her elliptical trainer wasn't an appropriate place to be practicing 'On my Own' at 6am.

The full scale Berry family argument that ensued had meant her leaving for school far too early, and in all the chaos she had forgotten to pick up her Glee sheet music. This meant either another hour of Mr Schuester's over enthusiastic rapping or being forced to use her well trained, diverse vocal range on a 80s monotonic rock ballad.

_'Brilliant'_ Rachel thought sarcastically. _'Just what the club needs after losing at Regionals, more of Mr Schue's rapping to distract us.'_

Honestly, Rachel wondered sometimes why Mr Schue was so surprised at their loss. _'If he could structure a lesson properly and take more time in preparing my solo, maybe we'd be a more successful club'. _

Sighing into the cold Ohio air, she let out her frustration over the whole situation. Trying to look on the bright side of things, Rachel figured she could at least practice in the auditorium before first period began. The worry of being slushied this early in the day was also eliminated with nobody around.

With a renewed sense of optimism and a slight spring in her step Rachel headed towards the entrance of the school.

However, a familiar small car momentarily distracted her. It was parked directly in front of the school entrance, alone in the large car park, in the spaces specifically reserved for Cheerios.

It was Quinn's car.

_'Why is Quinn here so early?' _

Rachel racked her brain, wondering if Coach Sylvester had scheduled an early Cheerio's practice this morning. But she didn't remember hearing it mentioned by either Santana or Brittany, and no other Cheerio's had arrived yet. Her curiosity rose.

Rachel hadn't been surprised last week when she had watched a cheerleader uniform clad Quinn glide past her. But she had been disappointed.

She knew Quinn loved being in Glee, but with that uniform came the temptation of popularity. Something which Glee obviously couldn't offer.

The uniform seemed to give Quinn a sense of fearlessness and confidence. It oozed out of the renewed head Cheerio, and had heads turning to stare after her in awe.

It was almost like time had turned back a year, before Quinn had been kicked off the Cheerios, out of her home and down the school hierarchy.

Almost. The cat fight between Quinn and Santana that Rachel had witnessed with a mixture of fear and apprehension was a reminder of how much things had changed this past year.

_Rachel watched pensively, wincing as Santana and Quinn dragged each other across the narrow hallway. Backs were slammed into lockers, hair was pulled until it was an untidy mess, insults tossed back and forth. The crowded hallway filled with excited - and hormonal - teenagers goading them on._

__

Finally Mr Schuester arrived, tearing through the crowds to pull Santana off of Quinn.

"Hey. Hey! What is this? What happened to us being a family?"

"Oh Please. She has a family. She's a **Mother!"**

Rachel flinched at the severity of the insult, and saw Quinn do the same. Her brown eyes softened with hurt, showing that the scars of past mistakes had not even begun to heal. That moment of weakness didn't last long.

"WALK AWAY, AND TIGHTEN THAT PONYTAIL BEFORE YOU GET TO CLASS!"

_The ferocity in Quinn's words, the bite in her speech, and in her icy glare conveyed one thing. _She_ was back at the top..._

Rachel hadn't spoken to Quinn since she had given away baby Beth. If she was honest with herself, she was slightly relieved that the blonde had not approached her. The hurt at hearing that her own mother, who hadn't wanted to form any sort of relationship with her, had adopted a brand new baby girl hadn't lessened any over the weeks that followed.

The feeling of concern and worry that seemed to linger when she was in the blondes presence, however, had also remained stubbornly near. It had nagged at Rachel since the Glee club had returned to school after their unsuccessful regional competition.

Rachel knew she and Quinn had never been what many would call 'close'. They had never been friends, never had many meaningful conversations – not for Rachel's lack of trying.

But she was worried about the blonde. She had noticed Quinn become more distant and passive in Glee as the weeks after Regionals passed. The fact that she was at school extraordinarily early, and for no apparent reason, only heightened Rachel's uneasiness.

Maybe part of it was guilt. Rachel still hadn't fully forgiven herself for spilling Quinn's secret to Finn, even if everybody else had seemed to.

She couldn't stop the guilt from washing over her every time she saw Quinn send a hopeful smile of friendship Finn's way, only to have it returned with a glare.

Every time she heard the bitchy remarks and gossip in the hallways that lately had always seemed to surround Quinn, she felt the guilt bubbling up inside of her.

But she couldn't shake off the feeling that it was more than that. That she needed to talk to Quinn, show her that there was somebody she could lean on if need be, a friendly ear willing to listen. To extended the olive branch of friendship one last time, even if it was to be thrown back in her face.

That was when Rachel decided she _really_ needed to talk to Quinn.

Strolling quietly through the empty hallways, Rachel had reasoned with herself that this would be the perfect time to track Quinn down. Apart from a few over enthusiastic teachers, the classrooms were empty. Everywhere was silent. It would be the perfect time to talk to the cheerleader without risking being interrupted or Quinn escaping in the busy crowds of student.

_'Now, if only I could find Quinn...'_

Rachel had always considered thoroughness one of her many positive attributes. Whether it be an off-key glee club member, or an important item misplaced in her room, she would always locate what she was looking for.

That was why she found it so puzzling. How could she find a missing Barbra Streisand key ring but not a 16 year old girl?

She had searched every hallway, classroom and library in the school. Quinn Fabray obviously did not want to be found.

_8:38 am._

Glancing at her watch angrily, she noted that classes would be starting soon. Internally struggling with her determination to find Quinn, and her almost primal need to complete her vocal warm ups before school began, Rachel stopped and glanced at her surroundings, irritated and mystified.

Wondering where she hadn't yet checked, Rachel was suddenly hit with an idea. In her certainty of the lack of Cheerio's practice this morning, Rachel hadn't bothered to look in the girl's locker room, although she figured it was a long shot; what would Quinn be doing in there so early? However, it was the only place she hadn't yet checked.

Turning and heading back the way she came, Rachel headed towards the Cheerios' locker room. She walked apprehensively. The girls' locker room was never high on Rachel's list of places she wanted to be. The bad memories of being teased relentlessly by the Cheerios she was forced into a class with still left her with an irrational hatred of all things involving gym class.

_'Boy's locker room is across the hall, RuPaul'_

__

'Enjoy your slushy today, Hobbit?'

_'You're not on my team stubbles. I actually want to win'_

The laughter that echoed around the large room was imprinted on Rachel's mind. _'They'll regret laughing when I win my EGOT'_ Rachel had reasoned with herself at the time.

The personal trauma was quickly forgotten about though, when she spotted the object of her lengthy pursuit. Quinn Fabray was standing in front of her designated locker, facing away from Rachel. Who couldn't help but notice, Quinn was standing only in her underwear.

Shuffling from one foot to the other and trying not to make a sound, Rachel panicked. This was one of the many social situations that she felt ill-prepared for, despite the numerous books she had read on the matter.

What exactly does one do when a girl you hardly feel like you know is standing before you in a state of undress, unaware of your presence?

Letting her eyes trail down the blonde's body, Rachel stepped forwards slowly. Her mouth opened slightly with words that were never spoken.

She scanned the soft skin of Quinn's back, the delicate slopes of her hips and traced the toned lines of her thighs. Having a baby had certainly done little to effect her body. Not that Rachel made of habit of noticing Quinn's physique...

Her gazed followed the path back up, gazing at incredible abs for probably longer than many would deem appropriate.

_'Wait... how can I see Quinn's stomach...' _

Eyes widened comically and shot upwards to be faced with an angry blonde. Quinn was facing her now, a cheerleading top being hastily pulled over her head, and a glare fixed on her face.

"What are you staring at me for, Berry?"

"Oh. I... I wasn't staring." Rachel laughed nervously, struggling to form an adequate explanation.

_'...Why am I here again?' _

"I was looking for you actually. I needed to talk to you, I thought you might-"

"So you thought you'd just stand there and not saying anything?" Quinn interrupted, her arms rigidly folding across her chest. Now, _thankfully_ for Rachel, fully dressed.

"I was actually going to wait until you were fully clothed to have this conversation, to avoid any unnecessary awkwardness, I... I guess we can forget that. But seeing as you are now dressed, I was wondering if you wanted to talk..."

"Talk about what?" Quinn asked. There was no aggression or annoyance in the blonde's voice, more like disinterest. Like she'd rather be anywhere else in the world than in the William McKinley girl's locker room right now.

"Well, as glee club captain I think it's important that all members of the club feel that they are supported by the rest of the team... and after everything that has happened over the past few months I just wanted you to know that you have a group of friends who are here for you. And with that in mind... I wanted to let you know that if you need somebody to talk to... I'm here."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Rachel replied slowly, confused.

"No. I don't want to talk to you."

Picking up her gym bag, Quinn rushed past Rachel and out of the door, without looking back once. The confusion was still set on Rachel's face as the door slammed behind her. She jumped as the bell rang, signalling the beginning of first period.

Despite being extraordinarily early, Rachel Berry was going to be late that day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** At the Bottom of Everything (2/?)  
**Author:** CartoonFullMoon  
**Pairing:** Rachel/Quinn  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Length: **1700  
**Spoilers:** Some early season 2 spoilers  
**Disclaimer:** I'm merely borrowing these characters for now :)  
**Summary:** One chaotic morning leads Rachel to realise that maybe Quinn Fabray isn't coping as well as she pretends to.  
**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews! hope you like this chapter as much. :) Also, because i forgot before, huge thank you to my beta for fixing my grammar slip-ups.

* * *

"... And that is why we'll be focusing more on adult contemporary songs at this year's sectionals!"

Mr Schue clapped his hands together, grinning as he gazed around the room excitedly, oblivious to the bored faces of the teenagers that obviously did not share his enthusiasm.

Rachel sighed, slouching back into her seat with a dispute on the tip of her tongue, listing the reasons why she thought even attempting to do anything but a Broadway medley would be Glee club suicide, and also why Mr Schue's constant need to ruin her future by picking awful song choices infuriated her so much.

'_At least it's not Journey... again.'_

As it turned out Rachel's input wasn't needed this time. Kurt had beaten her to the punch, and was currently arguing with Mr Schue about the credibility and originality of performing a tribute to 'The Wizard of Oz'

Although Rachel agreed with Kurt's thoughts wholeheartedly, with the exception of his insistence that his voice was perfect for the 'Over the Rainbow' solo when it clearly was more suited to hers, Rachel couldn't bring herself to join in the dispute. Her mind, for once, wasn't thinking about show tunes.

The day had been fairly uneventful since her encounter with Quinn that morning. She hadn't _yet _been slushied, but it was only last period, so there was still time. Rachel wasn't celebrating prematurely. She had passed from class to mundane class, finding it hard to focus. Her mind had been drifting to her encounter with Quinn almost obsessively. Even Glee wasn't pulling her attention away from the blonde cheerleader.

Rachel had reasoned with herself that she should be offended. Quinn had clearly shown a lack of appreciation for the empathy and selflessness she had shown in offering her unwavering support. She _wasn't_ offended though, she was just confused.

The exchange had been playing over and over in her head throughout the day. She would have expected that Quinn would throw immature insults at her, with 'RuPaul' or "Stubbles' tossed in somewhere, before threatening her with bodily harm (probably directed at her nose) if she mentioned this to anyone else. She had even thought it would have been likely for Quinn to laugh at her for attempting to form a friendship, and for thinking that Quinn would even consider it.

What didn't make much sense to Rachel was Quinn just leaving, having almost no reaction to what Rachel had said to her.

Tilting her head to the left slightly, she glanced over at Quinn discreetly. The cheerleader was sitting near the back of the room. She had chosen to sit on the raised level of the floor, instead of on a red plastic chair.

Rachel thought the blonde sort of blended in with the red plastic chairs that surrounded her. Maybe it was the red cheerleading uniform, or maybe it was the distant look on the blonde's face that gave the feeling of her being kind of inanimate herself.

She was staring straight ahead intently, seemingly at nothing at all. Almost like she was somewhere else entirely.

Pursing her lips together, Rachel tried to remember if she'd seen Quinn interact with anyone at all today in Glee. She distinctly recalled Quinn entering the room. Rachel had already been there, making up for her lateness to her first period Spanish class that morning by being extra punctual for glee rehearsals. She hadn't wanted to further upset Mr Schue this close to him making a solo decision for sectionals.

Rachel had smiled at the head cheerio as she walked past her, but Quinn hadn't looked at her. She had just walked towards the back of the room, and sat down near Mercedes and Kurt. Rachel assumed that Santana and Quinn still weren't talking, given the icy glare the Latino directed at Quinn, and the sad look on Brittany's face that followed.

Scanning the room Rachel noted that Kurt and Mercedes were once again gossiping, Kurt having finished his argument with Mr. Schue with a victorious flip of his hair. Rachel tried to eavesdrop, but stopped once she realized that she had no clue who they were talking about. In fact she wasn't entirely sure Mercedes and Kurt knew either.

She hadn't heard Quinn voice in the mix of gossip being exchanged. She briefly wondered if Quinn and Mercedes were still friends. Although they seemed particularly close last year, Rachel noticed that Quinn being on the Cheerio's again had seemed to irritate Mercedes.

Further to Rachel's right, Puck seemed to be retelling Artie a story from his time in the Juvenile Detention centre, while Artie looked on, slightly afraid.

Tina and Mike were discussing some kind of Asian dance camp, Brittany and Santana were talking about something that had occurred a few hours previously which made Rachel never want to go near _that _janitors closet _ever _again.

The more Rachel looked around, the more she noticed that Quinn seemed to be the only person not doing anything. Rachel thought that she actually looked kind of lonely.

In the past the mere thought of Quinn Fabray feeling any form of loneliness or isolation might have produced a slight feeling of satisfaction inside of Rachel.

Maybe it was because Quinn always seemed to be by herself lately whenever Rachel saw her around school. Or maybe it was because Rachel couldn't even fathom how hard it must be to give up a baby. (If was anything close to the pain of being the one given up, her heart ached in sympathy).

Whatever the reason, the instinct Rachel had always had to befriend the blonde had only seemed to grow over the weeks since Quinn had returned after giving birth.

Almost like she could feel Rachel's gaze on her, Quinn snapped out of her daydream. She glanced around the room, locating who was looking at her. When her eyes met Rachel's she looked momentarily confused, then intrigued. Her eyes stayed on Rachel's, staring intently. Like she was trying to work out what Rachel was thinking.

A tentative smile formed on Rachel's face, and surprisingly it was uncertainly mirrored by Quinn.

Before the singer had the chance to do anything else her sight of the blonde was broken by an arm waving in front of her.

"Rachel? Mr Schue said we could leave"

"What?" Rachel replied. Confused, she look up at the taller boy the arm belonged to. It was then that she noticed everybody seemed to be standing up and leaving.

"You were kinda staring off into space," Finn laughed.

Rachel tried to find Quinn's eyes again but her vision was blocked by the small mass of glee club members making their way towards the door. Spotting a streak of blonde hair out of the corner of her eye she quickly picked up her bag and attempted to follow the Cheerio. Before she could, however, she was stopped in her tracks by Finn stepping in front of her.

"So, I was talking to Mr Schue and he gave me some great ideas for song choices at sections, you know, that we could sing together. Do you maybe wanna practice after school tomorrow?"

She tried stretching to see over Finn, but found herself frustrated because of her small stature. '_Has he always been this tall!'_

"What? Oh yeah, sure. That sounds great, Finn."

Spotting Quinn making her way out of the door, she tried to follow her, but was once again blocked by Finn.

"Great... So umm... Do you maybe wanna do something after school today? Like, together." Finn smiled shyly.

That got her attention.

Since Finn had said 'I love you' to her at Regionals their relationship had been what Rachel would call _stuttered_.

He had taken her on a few dates to Breadstixs at the beginning of summer, but Finn's interest in continuing their relationship had seemed to fizzle out. Repairing his friendship with Puck by playing video games with him all day had seemed more of a priority to him.

Rachel had eventually grown bored of having phone conversations with him that consisted only of him talking about what new level of his game he's beaten. That wasn't to say she didn't still have feelings for him; she had spent most of last year pining for him after all.

It was just that she had realised maybe a relationship wouldn't work out between them.

The perfect fantasy she had of Finn had seemed to melt into a slightly immature teenage boy who would always be more concerned about his popularity than her.

"Honestly Finn, I think it would be best if we put whatever relationship we had behind us. I don't think you're ready to be in a serious relationship with me, and for the good of Glee club I think it would be best if we remained friends right now."

Rachel wasn't sure if it was the confusion over being rejected, or the long sentence she had used, but Finn looked back at her with a puzzled expression.

"But you were like, totally into me last year... I thought after Regionals you'd want us to be together."

"I did have feelings for you Finn, but it just wouldn't work out. I'm sorry. I hope we can still be friends."

She was sorry, but she was also slightly annoyed at being ignored for most of the summer, so she didn't extend her affection any further than a small pat on his arm.

She was over Finn, and right now, Rachel was more concerned with stopping a certain blonde from leaving the school before she had chance to talk to her.

Giving Finn one last apologetic smile, she left him standing there trying to work out what had just happened. She dashed out of the now empty room, emerging in a crowded hallway.

Hopping slightly, trying to see over her fellow students, Rachel cursed her small stature again.

'_Why do I have to be so small!'. _

Giving up hope of spotting Quinn in the dense population of students, Rachel sighed, defeated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** At the Bottom of Everything (3/?)  
**Author:** CartoonFullMoon  
**Pairing:** Rachel/Quinn  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Length:** 2500~  
**Spoilers:** Maybe some early season 2 spoilers.  
**Disclaimer: **Don't own a thing.  
**Summary:** One chaotic morning leads Rachel to realise that maybe Quinn Fabray isn't coping as well as she pretends to.  
**A/N: **Firstly, thank you to the people who reviewed - it means a lot :) Also, thanks to everyone who story alerted it - i was kinda surprised with how many i got. :)

* * *

The girls locker room seemed almost eerie this early in the morning. Her footsteps on the hard tiles echoed through the rows of lockers, breaking the silence in the otherwise empty space. The slightly spooky setting was only adding to Rachel's feeling of deja-vu.

She had arrived at school slightly earlier than the day previously. It wasn't that she was hoping Quinn had also decided to arrive early _exactly, _and she_ definitely_ hadn't planned this to increase her chances of bumping into the blonde.

At least that's what Rachel had convinced herself as she left her house, the sun barely having risen. Her alarm clock had been set for an almost criminally early time, and the elliptical workout that was usually cemented into her schedule sacrificed.

Questioning looks were etched on both of her fathers' faces. Their eyes were still foggy with sleep as they looked from the clock to Rachel and back again, confused.

Rachel did conveniently have other reasons to be at school before even the first faculty member had arrived. Her biweekly myspace video had taken longer to edit the night before than she had prepared for, leaving her with no time to work on her weekly glee solo (this was mainly due to her fathers' 9pm singing curfew, _which she still wasn't happy about.)_

When she saw the familiar small car parked in exactly the same place it had been the morning before... Well, she couldn't say she was disappointed. If she bumped into the blonde Cheerio, _that would just be a coincidence. _

"Quinn?"

The silence that met her elicited a disappointed sigh from Rachel.

'_Great. I'm on a wild goose chase... again!' _

Gazing around the empty room, Rachel wondered whether to just give up now. Head to the auditorium and not risk wasting another morning chasing shadows. That was until something caught her attention in the last row of lockers. Smiling smugly in victory, she noticed it was a red Cheerio's bag.

Although it had brightened her spirits, and saved her wasting another opportunity to practice in an empty auditorium, Rachel was puzzled. School didn't start for another hour at least, and given the lone gym bag there was no Cheerio's practice this morning either. (Which wasn't surprising, she recalled hearing a rumor that Coach Sylvester was temporarily suspended for pushing Principle Figgins down the stairs.)

It did leave Rachel wondering what reason Quinn could possibly have to be at school.

* * *

The singer had found herself sitting on the bleachers, watching a determined Quinn Fabray doing lap after lap of the school's football field.

After checking the gym and coach Sylvester's office, Rachel had finally made her way outside, pleased when she saw Quinn in the distance running.

'_So that's what she's doing here so early...'_

Although, she wasn't exactly sure why she was _still _watching Quinn.

The cold air was numbing her eyes, still stinging with tiredness, and the mittens she had brought did little to warm her freezing hands.

Her mystery had been solved, but she couldn't bring herself to leave. Watching Quinn was actually kind of relaxing, seeing her look so determined and focused.

Although Rachel would never admit this out loud, she was also slightly relieved that Quinn was spending her time improving her physical fitness, and not plotting a way to steal her Glee solos.

_Not that it had crossed her mind at all..._

Despite the cold Ohio temperature, Quinn's t-shirt was clinging to her athletic body with perspiration. Her eyes were set in front of her, never wavering from the track, and never looking up at the bleachers, _thankfully._

Rachel's curiosity was satisfied, but she didn't need Quinn thinking she was some kind of stalker.

During the summer Rachel had often seen the cheerleader jogging through the park whenever she had passed by. Honestly, she didn't blame Quinn for wanting to get her pre-baby physique back. She had witnessed the taunting in the hallways the past year, the jokes at the then-former cheerleaders expense. The hallways were filled with jealous girls who were thriving in Quinn's downfall.

There was definitely nothing to be made fun of now though. As her eyes lingered down the blonde's body, Rachel briefly thought that Quinn actually looked more in shape now than before the pregnancy.

Time passed slowly, and Rachel's tired mind drifted off into thoughtlessness, while her eyes never left Quinn.

She couldn't say how long she had been sitting there when Quinn stopped running. Her skin was frozen from the cold wind and her back ached from the hard bench she was sitting on.

As Quinn made her way closer to the bleachers, sweating, panting and clinging to her empty water bottle, Rachel barely had time to duck down before she was spotted.

Watching Quinn retreat back into the locker room, Rachel briefly thought about following her. Realizing she had no clue what to say, and not wanting another unsuccessful confrontation like the previous morning, she decided against it and headed towards the auditorium.

She still did have that Glee solo to work on, and she was suspicious somebody was trying to steal her solos... even if it wasn't Quinn...

* * *

Rachel was standing at her locker when she heard it. Collecting the books she would need to complete that night's homework, the arguing voices drifted to her ears from a few feet away.

She was usually more punctual arriving at her locker at the end of the day. A Glee related meeting with Mr. Schue about sectionals, or more Rachel complaining that he had not even started the set list yet, had made her arrive slightly later.

That was one more thing to add to her to do list; compile a list of songs suitable for a show choir competition.

Honestly, sometimes she wondered why Mr. Schue was there at all.

"You're an idiot, Puckerman."

Subtlety had never been Rachel's strongest trait. Still, as discreetly as she could she shuffled closer to the arguing pair.

"Look baby mamma, I'm into you, but I'm gonna need you to let me get to third base a couple of times a week." Puck's voice, filled with cockiness, was clearer now.

Rachel found herself eavesdropping on the heated conversation. Obviously Quinn was upset about something, and Puck was... well, being Puck.

"I have needs baby, sex sharks don't linger near one fish for too long."

Rachel scrunched her nose up, she wasn't sure that even made sense.

"That's why you were sexting Santana before in math?" Quinn's voice was unmistakable, angry and accusing.

"Look, you may be like super curvy now, and even though I said I don't dig fat chicks, I'm still into you, but I have needs and Santana gets that."

Rachel didn't even have to look. She knew a glare would be burning through Noah Puckerman right now.

"Besides, you said we're not dating!" Puck's tone had turned defensive.

"We're not dating!" Quinn snapped. "Why would I want to date a Lima loser like you?"

Rachel turned her head just in time to see Quinn rushing down the hallway, sending people almost crashing into lockers trying to move out of her way.

Puck sighed, running his hand through his barely existent hair. He stared after Quinn for a moment, looking frustrated.

That was until a tall brunette cheerleader walked past him, raising her eyebrows at him.

He smirked and turned to follow her, finally noticing Rachel as he did so.

"Berry," Puck nodded, barely sparing her a glance as he followed the cheerleader.

'_Ass' _Rachel thought.

Puck wasn't the only one who noticed Rachel. If she had just looked up before turning away from the row of lockers, she would have seen the two jocks coming towards her, wielding slushies in their hands.

It wasn't the cold ice painfully hitting her face, or the brightly colored cups she saw when she opened her eyes.

It wasn't even the feeling of ice dripping down her chest under her sweatshirt.

It was the cruel laughter she could hear from every direction around her that told her that she had been slushied.

Staring down at the floor, Rachel squeezed her eyes together. It was bad enough that everybody had to see her humiliated in the middle of the hallway, they didn't have to see her cry too.

"I think he ruined your sweatshirt Berry. You should thank him."

Her bottom lip trembled as her glassy eyes fought to hold back the tears. _'Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.'_

She didn't know who the voice belonged to, she supposed it didn't matter really, but she didn't stick around long enough to find out. Pushing though the gathering crowd, she ran to the nearest bathroom she could find.

Leaving the cruel laughter behind her, as well as a trail of slushy.

As she stared at herself in the large mirror, she couldn't hold back the tears any longer. The red ice had melted, formed sticky trails down her face. The stain on her favorite sweater was already forming.

'_Wicked. Phantom of the Opera. Oklahoma. A Chorus Line. Fiddler on the Roof. Hairspray. Chicago. Spring Awakening.'_

Counting successful Broadway musicals had always had a calming effect on Rachel, whether it being to help her fall asleep at night, or to stop herself breaking down in an empty school bathroom. It always seemed to work.

Sometimes Rachel wished she could just leave Lima now, skip the rest of her high school years and head to New York early, struggle for a few years as a unappreciated waitress, barely making ends meet, before finally landing a huge starring role in a Broadway show at the tender age of eighteen... It would definitely make for great reading in her future autobiography.

'_And it's not like anyone is going to miss me after we graduate,'_ Rachel thought bitterly.

She was under no illusions that most of the Glee club only tolerated her for outstanding leading vocals that held the group together.

Most of the time Rachel dreamed of making it big in New York. Winning countless Tony awards, being offered incredible roles in Hollywood movies and gaining legions of adoring fans.

But sometimes, she just wished she could have a friend in this school.

The time it took her to get cleaned up was short. The mechanisms having become so familiar, she went through them without thinking.

When she was finished, she looked up into the mirror, willing herself to smile. To not let some idiot jocks beat her. The sight she was met with was so depressing it only led to more tears leaking out of her eyes.

'_Funny Girl. Guys and Dolls. Evita. The Sound of Music. Rent. My Fair Lady. Les Miserables. Cats...'_

She lingered longer in the bathroom than usual, not wanting to risk running into anymore jocks or Cheerio's waiting to humiliate her further. When she did finally leave the safety of the empty room, the corridor was empty.

Looking down the hallway towards the exit, she saw nothing but the occasional dropped piece of paper on the floor blocking her path. Realizing she didn't really feel like going home yet, where she was bound to face questions as to why she changed her outfit at school _again_, she headed the opposite way.

Debating whether to head towards the library to start on her homework, or go to the auditorium, Rachel spotted something peculiar: Quinn entering the girls' locker room at the end of the hall.

Okay, maybe under normal circumstances that wouldn't be strange _at all, _but Rachel was pretty sure Mr. Schue had elatedly told her that Coach Sylvester was under temporary suspension due to a restraining order from Principle Figgins. One that prohibited her from coming within a hundred feet of the school premises.

And Rachel was also pretty sure Becky gave the Cheerio's the week off, after Sue had left her in charge. So what exactly was Quinn still doing here?

* * *

She was still wondering that as she sat on the bleachers, in the exact same place she had been that morning. Again, she watched as Quinn once again jogged lap after lap of the football field.

Rachel could feel that deja-vu feeling coming back again.

She had watched Quinn tirelessly exercise that morning, and she was pretty sure the cheerleader had gym class during the day as well.

Sure, she believed in keeping yourself physically fit. Pushing yourself to the limit in whichever aspect of life you were focusing on was important, but this seemed a little extreme, even to Rachel.

Placing her earphones in and playing her 'Show Choir' play-list, Rachel pulled out her notebook and began jotting down ideas for the Glee club's sectional performance. She stopped occasionally to spare a glance at Quinn.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed. Two entire Broadway cast soundtracks had been played. Three pages of her notebook had been filled with her thoughts and ideas. And Quinn hadn't stopped running.

Pausing her iPod she glanced down at the cheerleader. She could at least admire her determination. _'Although, why she can't channel this focus in Glee is beyond me...'_

Pulling one earphone out of her ear Rachel realized she'd spoken to soon.

Quinn had come to a halt, bending over and digging her fingernails into her sides. Her chest noticeably rising and contracting with labored breaths.

As the cheerleader glanced around her, looking for her water bottle, Rachel sunk impossibly lower on the bench. She was pretty sure Quinn had no idea she'd been sitting there all this time, and she didn't want to risk being spotted now.

She didn't really know how to answer the question 'Why have you been watching me _again_, Berry?'

Honestly, she didn't really know the answer herself.

The library was certainly quieter, and a classroom would be infinitely warmer. But something about watching Quinn had been calming. Reassuring, almost.

Quinn dropped backwards, sitting on the cold ground. Her eyes squeezed shut and she still struggled to regain her breathing. Rachel could swear she could almost see Quinn's heart beating under her shirt.

Using this opportunity, the brunette quickly shuffled her notes in her bag before creeping as discreetly as she could to the end of the row in an attempt to sneak away unnoticed.

Glancing down at Quinn once more, Rachel happily noted that Quinn eyes were still tightly shut, oblivious to the tiny diva watching her.

'_She wouldn't notice if I just slowly sneaked away- Wait... Is she crying?'_

Quinn furiously dragged the back of her wrist against her eyes, roughly wiping away tears that she desperately didn't want to fall.

Rachel looked on, caught in two minds. Part of her wanted to rush down and comfort the blonde, and the other, more realistic, part of her was screaming at her to just leave. Leaving Rachel stuck in the same spot, unmoving.

Finally she saw Quinn's eyes open, aggravated red blotches surrounding them where the skin had been rubbed a little too harshly. Rising to her feet, the cheerleader made her way back towards the lock room door.

Leaving Rachel standing on the bleachers, feeling very confused, and more than a little worried.


End file.
